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Chauffeur, the colt who topped the Magic Millions Gold Coast sale last January, justified his high price tag when he made a winning debut at Rosehill on Saturday.
Trained by Gerald Ryan, Chauffeur was purchased by the trainer for Damon Flower’s Jadeskye Racing at the Magic Millions for $1.6 million.
Flower, who raced Snitzel with Ryan, has shared the ownership in Chauffeur with a high-profile group that includes John Singleton, Neil Werrett, Nick Vass and Brad Hunt.Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud sold the colt at the Magic Milions.
Ryan said Flower had selected 10 yearlings to target at the sale but reduced that number to six in order to secure the Snitzel colt within budget.
"Last year when we were looking at the sales he was as good a colt as I've seen anywhere," Ryan said."Damon said do the bidding on the big colt. I said where do I stop and he said don't."
By Arrowfield Stud's champion sire Snitzel, Chauffeur is the third foal to race from the Magic Millions Classic and Listed Gimcrack Stakes winner Mirror Mirror.He is a three-quarter brother to the stakes-winning juvenile No Looking Back, the Redoute's Choice filly who was trained by Gai Waterhouse to finish second in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and Magic Millions 2YO Classic in 2012. She lost the latter race on protest to her stablemate Driefontein.
Chauffeur had been given two soft trials leading into his debut with Ryan mindful that he wants the colt to peak for the $2 million Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast on January 14.Ryan is planning to give Chauffeur another start run on December 31 before the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
“I always knew he had the ability, but he didn’t have the best lead in to the race,” Ryan said.“We also know he will improve as well. They say the Slipper winner has to race before Christmas, well he has now.”
Chauffeur, who already holds a vast stud value, is a member of the extended family of five-time G1-winning champion South African mare Laisserfaire, champion New Zealand sire Centaine and the stakes winners Time Thief, Personify, Foreplay, A Time For Julia, Galapagos Girl, Procrastinate, and Tennessee Vain.
• FOXWEDGE filly Colosimo staked her claim for the Magic Millions 2YO Classic when she went two for two with a strong win in the Eagle Farm two-year-old race on Saturday.Carrying the colours of Aquis Farm, Colosimo proved too strong for her rivals to follow up a swooping win at the Gold Coast.
Trainer Steven O’Dea said the filly, a $55,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, would race again before the MM Classic.Colosimo is a graduate of Rosari Farm – the same nursery which bred and sold Mirror Mirror, the Magic Millions Classic winner and dam of the Saturday’s Sydney winner Chauffeur.